64% Australians support proposal for Indigenous voice to parliament: Poll

A clear majority of Australians support the government's proposal to enshrine an Indigenous voice to parliament in the nation's constitution, a poll has found.

The Resolve Strategic poll, which was published by Nine Entertainment newspapers on Monday, revealed that 64 per cent of Australian voters said they would support "an alteration to the Constitution that establishes an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice".

If established, the voice could advise the parliament on issues that directly affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, including housing, childcare and land rights policy.

In July, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese recommended changes to the constitution to establish an Indigenous voice to parliament, Xinhua news agency reported.

 

In a speech, Albanese outlined his plan for a referendum to enshrine the voice in the constitution.

"We should consider asking our fellow Australians something as simple, but something as clear, as this: 'Do you support an alteration to the Constitution that establishes an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice?'" he said at the Garma Festival in the Northern Territory on July 30.

According to the Resolve poll of 3,618 respondents, more than 50 per cent of voters currently support the voice in all six states.

Support is highest in Tasmania at 73 per cent and lowest in Queensland at 59 per cent.

--IANS

int/khz/